Interpol Blue Notice—Yemen

US Navy Warships have been deployed to the waters off Yemen “attempting to block possible escape routes for 23 prisoners who escaped last week.”^[1] The ships are stationed about 14 miles offshore and are under the command of the US Navy Central Command in Bahrain.^[2] According to Interpol, at least 13 of the 23 escaped prisoners were “convicted al Qaeda terrorists, some of whom were involved in attacks on U.S. and French ships in 2000 and 2002.”^[3]

Two of escapees were Gamal Ahmed Badawi, who is the reputed mastermind of the bombing of the USS Cole, and Jaber Elbaneh, who is an American citizen linked to an alleged terrorism cell near Buffalo, New York.^[4]

Interpol has issued an “international blue notice” for the escapees. A blue notice is primarily used for locating a person, or for verifying a person’s identity. “Some countries may decide to detain the subject of a Blue Notice even if no valid national arrest warrant exists.”^[5] The notices, were issued “based on general information, photographs and other details of the fugitives sent to the Interpol General Secretariat in Lyon, France.”^[6] An Orange Notice, which is an “urgent global security alert,” was issued on Sunday.^[7] As further details, such as fingerprints and national arrest warrants, are received by Interpol, a Red Notice could be issued.^[8] The Orange Notice “is ordinarily used to warn police in member countries of mail bombs or disguised weapons, but this Orange Notice was issued “because the escape and unknown whereabouts of al Qaeda terrorists constituted an immediate danger to all countries.”^[9]

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[1] Barbara Starr, Warships Aid Search for Yemeni Escapees, CNN.com, Feb. 9, 2006.
[2] Id.
[3] Id.
[4] Id.
[5] Interpol, Interpol Blue Notices Issued for Fugitives After Yemen Jail Break, Feb. 7, 2006.
[6] Id.
[7] Id.
[8] Id.
[9] Id.